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• hooker
  hooker

  noun

  a person or thing that hooks.
• Hooker
  Hooker

  noun

  Joseph, 1814–79, Union general in the U.S. Civil War.

hooker

¹ American  

[hook-er] / ˈhʊk ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that hooks.

2. Slang. prostitute.

3. Slang. a large drink of liquor.

4. Slang. a concealed problem, flaw, or drawback; a catch.

5. Rugby. a player who hooks the ball in the front line of scrummage.

6. (initial capital letter) a contemptuous term used to refer to an Amish Mennonite.

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hooker ² American  

[hook-er] / ˈhʊk ər /

noun

Nautical.

1. Slang. any old-fashioned or clumsy vessel.

2. any fishing vessel working with hooks and lines rather than nets.

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Hooker ³ American  

[hook-er] / ˈhʊk ər /

noun

1. Joseph, 1814–79, Union general in the U.S. Civil War.

2. Richard, 1554?–1600, English author and clergyman.

3. Thomas, 1586?–1647, English Puritan clergyman: one of the founders of the colony of Connecticut.

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hooker ¹ British  

/ ˈhʊkə /

noun

1. a person or thing that hooks

2. slang

   1. a draught of alcoholic drink, esp of spirits

   2. a prostitute

3. rugby the central forward in the front row of a scrum whose main job is to hook the ball

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Hooker ² British  

/ ˈhʊkə /

noun

1. John Lee. 1917–2001, US blues singer and guitarist

2. Sir Joseph Dalton. 1817–1911, British botanist; director of Kew Gardens (1865–85)

3. Richard. 1554–1600, British theologian, who influenced Anglican theology with The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity (1593–97)

4. Sir William Jackson. 1785–1865, British botanist; first director of Kew Gardens: father of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker

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hooker ³ British  

/ ˈhʊkə /

noun

1. a commercial fishing boat using hooks and lines instead of nets

2. a sailing boat of the west of Ireland formerly used for cargo and now for pleasure sailing and racing

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Sensitive Note

The Mennonites were irreverently spoken of as Hookers , because they used hooks and eyes on their clothes instead of buttons.

Etymology

Origin of hooker¹

First recorded in 1560–70; in 1835–45 hooker ¹ for def. 2, an Americanism; hook ¹ + -er ¹

Origin of hooker²

First recorded in 1635–45; from Dutch hoeker, equivalent to hoek hook ¹ + -er -er ¹

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hooker Hooker

"We went to a little market and people were recognising us," Leigh Leopards' Papuan hooker Liam Horne told BBC Sport.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

England welcome back the experienced Amy Cokayne at hooker as their 41-match unbeaten run goes on the line against Rugby World Cup runners-up Canada in Toronto on Friday.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

But Leicester hit back when hooker Samiuela Moli launched himself over at the back of a driving maul and Billy Searle popped over the conversion to give Tigers a slender advantage.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

The teams traded early penalties before Springboks hooker Johan Grobbelaar drove over for the first try of the match after a powerful maul.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

Now w'en that 'ere bull seed that 'ere red waggin he knowed it warn't the ole merchant hooker wot he'd seed me a-steerin' up an' down that road so long.

From Harper's Round Table, June 25, 1895 by Various

The looks that walked down the runway also called upon the dream, soundtracked by a score that included blues icon John Lee Hooker and beloved French band Air.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026

Handy, John Lee Hooker, Son House, Ike Turner and Sam Cooke all hailed from or lived for a while in this blues mecca.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026

Hooker Amy Cokayne crossed for the opening try, with prop Sarah Bern grabbing two first-half scores.

From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026

Brian Hooker told police that he and his wife left Hope Town for Elbow Cay, in the Abaco Islands, on Saturday evening when she fell overboard, taking the boat's keys with her.

From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2026

The fact is that it wasn’t, but Hooker was confused.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

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